Serge Gnabry has stated that ‘a lot of players’ after leaving Arsenal are ‘doing really well’, as the Bayern Munich star included himself in that picture.
The 27-year-old, who is set to be a key player for Germany at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, left Arsenal in 2016 after struggling to make an impact with the Premier League side.
That move away from north London helped a young, fresh-faced, half-cooked and underdeveloped star blossom into a superstar back in his homeland.
It all started in the colours of Werder Bremen, before he caught the eyes of the big fish in the Bundesliga pond in Bayern Munich and he hasn’t looked back since.
Gnabry shared how that journey panned out and how he just didn’t stop believing in himself no matter what, as he told SoccerBible.
“It was a difficult time (leaving Arsenal),” said Gnabry. “Like a lot of players that have been at Arsenal, they are now doing really well. It was difficult. It was tough, but I told myself ‘I have the capability’. I had bad luck with injuries. I was almost out for a year, then not finding my form and stuff like this.
“But I always knew my potential. I never stopped believing and working even harder. Then having family and people around you that believed in you and have always been there, especially finding out that they are going to stick by you in the time that you are down.
“A lot of people have left or not expressed their interest anymore, I would say as it was before when I was rising up. I just kept working harder.
“At the end of the day, the timing of the Olympic games was right. It was a close call as to whether I was staying at Arsenal to do the pre-season because I was in good shape. Luckily, I made the decision or they let me go as well to participate in the Olympics, and from then on, I gained confidence and showed what I was capable of.”
GNABRY AT THE 2022 WORLD CUP
At the 2018 World Cup, Germany were knocked out of the group stages, before suffering a quarter-final defeat to England at Euro 2020.
The Germans don’t usually mess up on so many occasions on the world’s biggest stage, so they could prove to be a big threat in Qatar.
If they are to cook, then Gnabry could be a key figure for them up front. He heads to the Middle East in very strong form, with ten goals and ten assists from 23 games in all competitions, including eight strikes in the Bundesliga.
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